Who is Miss Carrington from Crow Lake and what is their importance?

Miss Carrington is the local school teacher. She teaches in the small schoolhouse that houses all the younger grades, and often visits the Morrison house after the death of Katie's parents. Miss Carrington's first visit results in Luke's decision to take custody of his siblings, as she states her belief that Matt should go to university. Luke takes her words to heart and decides to give his brother this chance by taking custody of the girls instead of spending the last of the money on his own education. When Katie later suggests that Luke and Miss Carrington are having an affair, the reader wonders if it began much sooner than Katie suggests.